February 2012 – Page 2 – Booktalking #kidlit

Baby Born

My Book of the Week

Baby Born
by Anastasia Suen (Author) and Chih-Wei Chang (Illustrator)

Booktalk: “The soothing verse follows a year in the life of a newborn…”
~Kirkus Reviews

Snippet:
Baby born
in winter’s sleep
snowflakes fall
snuggle deep

See inside this board book!

Also available in Spanish

For toddler time:
Craft: Make a baby in a blanket (just like the book cover!)
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Picture Book of the Day

Uh-Oh!
by Mary Newell DePalma (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: The word in the title is the only word in this almost wordless book about a small dinosaur who keeps getting himself into trouble. (A perfect “I love you no matter what” book for Valentine’s Day today!)

Snippet: Uh-Oh!
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Chapter Book of the Day

Little Wings #1: Willa Bean’s Cloud Dreams
by Cecilia Galante (Author) and Kristi Valiant (Illustrator)
112 pages

Booktalk: Most cupids have soft straight hair, rosy cheeks, and silky white wings. Not Willa Bean! She has a crazy mess of hair, a million-bajillion freckles, and bright purple wings with silver tips. And lately those bright purple wings with silver tips have been giving Willa Bean an awful lot of problems. They won’t fly!

Snippet: Harper was going to help Wllla Bean in a very special way.

She was going to teach Willa Bean how to get those purple wings with the silvers tips of hers to behave.

Because there was no way, nohow, nope-ity, nope, nope, nope, that Willa Bean was going to start at the Cupid Academy tomorrow without being able to fly.
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Literary Links

Elana Roth Opens Red Tree Literary (via GalleyCat)

A bathtub made of books? (via @quirkbooks)

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Nonfiction Monday

Picture Book of the Day

Rosa’s Bus
by Jo S. Kittinger (Author) and Steven Walker (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Like all buses in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1950s, bus #2857 was segregated: white passengers sat in the front and black passengers sat in the back. Bus #2857 was an ordinary public bus until a woman named Rosa Parks, who had just put in a long day as a seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger.

Snippet:
When Bus #2857 rolled off
the assembly line in 1948,
no one cheered,
no one paid attention
no one knew that one day
Bus #2857 would be famous.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Getting Elected: A Look at Running for Office
by Robin Nelson and Sandy Donovan (Authors)
40 pages

Booktalk: A look behind the scenes at what it means to be elected to political office…

Snippet: The United States is a democracy. In a democracy, the government is run for the people and by the people. But people don’t do all the work. They choose representatives to make decisions for them.
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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Wrapped in Foil

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Larry Dane Brimner booktalks Black and White

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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Literary Links

Timesavers to use right now to speed up your workflow. (via @freelancesw)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Friday Reads

Picture Book of the Day

Soccer Hour
by Carol Nevius (Author) and Bill Thomson (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Soccer practice begins, and the players stretch, warm up, and work on their footwork, juggling, goal shooting, and keep-away skills…

Snippet:
We practice playing as a team.
A winning season is our dream.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Writing the World for Kids

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Chapter Book of the Day

Path of the Pronghorn
by Cat Urbigkit (Author) and Mark Gocke (Illustrator)
32 pages

Booktalk: Pronghorns are the fastest land mammals in North America, clocked at speeds of up to sixty miles per hour. Of all the world’s land animals, only cheetahs are faster.

Snippet: Fawns start running when just a few days old, dashing around their mothers at speeds up to twenty-five miles an hour! As fawns mature, they will run even faster.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

This week’s STEM Friday Round-up is hosted by Red Phoenix Books.

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Nonfiction Monday on February 13, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on February 13, 2012

is at Wrapped in Foil.

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

My Little Baby
by Begin Smart Books

Booktalk: On each page spread, a proud animal mom talks about what her baby says…

Snippet:
My pup says
WOOF!

And the baby animal says it twice…

woof
woof

Each baby animal also has a texture to touch.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Ten (The Winnie Years)
by Nathan Bransford (Author)
208 pages

Booktalk: Winnie Perry is turning ten and ten is BIG: it means double digits, more responsibility, and being an almost-middle-schooler. Ten means that Winnie can handle anything, even a three-year-old baby brother and a practically teenage (and acting like it) older sister. And with her best friend, Amanda, by her side, Winnie plans on enjoying every last second of their last year in elementary school.

Snippet: The thing about birthdays is that they are shiny and sparkly and make the birthday girl feel special. And guess what? Today I was the birthday girl. As of today–oh my goodness gravy–I, Winnie Perry, was living in the Land of Double Digits.
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School Visit at John Paul II High School

Thanks for another great day, Cardinals!

Special thanks to Media Specialists Gracelyn Shea and Linda Berger!
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STEM Friday on February 10, 2012

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on February 10, 2012

is at Red Phoenix Books.

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Literary Link

Tips for connecting with reluctant and struggling readers (via @paulgreci)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

The Pink Party
by Maryann MacDonald (Author) and Judy Stead (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Rose and Valentina both love pink. But whenever Rose gets something pink, Valentina gets something even pinker!

Snippet:
“Is it okay if I get one, too?” Valentina asked.
Rose’s heart tripped, then tumbled…
but she was afraid to say no.
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Chapter Book of the Day

My Frozen Valentine
by Eric Fein (Author) and Gregg Schigiel and Lee Loughridge (Illustrators)
56 pages

Booktalk: It’s Valentine’s Day in Gotham, but not everyone is celebrating. Victor Fries (aka Mr. Freeze) has never gotten over the death of his wife, Nora, and he’s not about to let anyone enjoy this painful holiday. Only Batman can stop the cold-hearted criminal before Victor refrigerates the city!

Snippet: “It’s not just the cold temperatures,” Gordon said. “We’ve been getting reports of strange objects hovering over the city. They look like flying saucers with some kind of weapon attached. One police officer said it was a cannon that fired rays of ice.”
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5 Great Books About Presidents

George Washington — Soldier, Hero, President
by Justine Fontes and Ron Fontes (Authors)
See George Washington grow up in this Level 3 easy reader biography.

I’m Going to Washington to Visit the President
by Harriet Zeifert (Author) and Tanya Roitman (Illustrator)
Go on a tour of tour nation’s capitol. Level 1 easy reader

Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President
by Shirley Raye Redmond (Author) and John Manders (Illustrator)
Explorers Lewis and Clark try to find a present for President Thomas Jefferson. Level 3 easy reader

Presidents’ Day
by Margaret McNamara (Author) and Mike Gordon (Illustrator)
The kids at Robin Hill School celebrate Presidents’ Day. Level 1 easy reader

Presidents’ Day
by David F. Marx (Author)
Learn the facts about Presidents’ Day. Level 1 easy reader
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Literary Links

Penguin has a new app to help break through writer’s block (via @ebooknewser)

Easy directions for making a pop-up book (via @imaginationsoup)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Free Throw/Tiro Libre

My Book of the Week

Free Throw by Anastasia Suen (writing as Jake Maddox)
A basketball novel

Copyright: 2007
Guided Reading level: L
ATOS Level: 2.8
AR Quiz Number: 109967
Library Binding / Paperback: 72 pages
Publisher: Stone Arch Books

Since Derek is the tallest kid on his basetball team, his coach decides to let him play center instead of Jason. Derek thinks this is a lucky break, until Jason stops passing him the ball out on the court. As Jason takes his revenge on him, Derek begins to lose confidence. He’s not sure he’ll ever be able to make a successful free throw with Jason breathing down his neck.

Now available in Spanish

Activities:

See the latest basketball news and videos at NBA.com.

Can you find all of the words in this Basketball Word Search Puzzle?

Make your own Basketball Word Scramble.

Discover the secret message in these Basketball Math Puzzles.
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Picture Book of the Day

Amber’s Fair-y Tale
by Deborah Bates Cavitt (Author) and Amy Rottinger (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A fractured fairy tale (based on Cinderella) with heifers and the Texas State Fair!

Snippet: Amber wasn’t allowed to go anywhere. Bonnie and Connie had found plenty of chores to keep her busy during fair week.

**Deborah is one of my former students!**

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Chapter Book of the Day

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances
by Lenore Look (Author) and LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)
208 pages

Booktalk: Let’s face it. When it comes to death, everything is scary. Especially if your name is Alvin Ho and you maybe, sort of, agreed to go to a funeral for your GungGung’s best friend (who was your best friend too).

Snippet: “Why did Charlie die?” I asked.

“You’re asking me? You’re the one who was here when GungGung got the news.”
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Literary Links

Celebrate & share the American Indian Youth Literature Award Winners & Honor Books (via @cynleitichsmith)

Lee & Low Acquires Children’s Book Press (via @PWKidsBookshelf + @leeandlow)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Nonfiction Monday

Picture Book of the Day

Climbing Lincoln’s Steps: The African American Journey
by Suzanne Slade (Author) and Colin Bootman (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The marble steps of our capitol’s Lincoln Memorial have witnessed key moments in African American history.

Snippet: The statue was unveiled to the public in 1922 in a building called the Lincoln Memorial. Since then, many people have climbed the steps leading to Abraham’s statue–inspired to take another step for change.
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Chapter Book of the Day

We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March
by Cynthia Levinson (Author)
176 pages

Booktalk: We ve Got a Job tells the little-known story of the 4,000 black elementary-, middle-, and high school students who voluntarily went to jail in Birmingham, Alalama, between May 2 and May 11, 1963. Fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi s and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. s precept to fill the jails, they succeeded where adults had failed in desegregating one of the most racially violent cities in America. Focusing on four of the original participants who have participated in extensive interviews, We ve Got a Job recounts the astonishing events before, during, and after the Children s March.

Snippet: Segregation in Birmingham wasn’t just a way of life. It was the law. The city’s Racial Segregration Ordinances, adopted in 1951, demanded almost total separation of blacks and whites.

**Cynthia is one of my former students!**

BONUS! Download the curriculum guide (created by another former student!)
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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Capstone Connect

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Deborah Hopkinson booktalks A Boy Called Dickens

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

(His 200th birthday is tomorrow!)

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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Literary Links

Publishing’s Ecosystem on the Brink: The Backstory | The Authors Guild Blog
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Friday Reads

Picture Book of the Day

Feeding the Sheep
by Leda Schubert (Author) and Andrea U’Ren (Illustrator)

Booktalk: As a little girl asks questions, we all learn how wool from a sheep turns into a sweater.

Snippet:
“What are you doing?” the little girl asked.
“Feeding the sheep,” her mother answered.
Snowy day, corn and hay.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by The Iris Chronicles

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Chapter Book of the Day

Glaciers (Eye to Eye with Endangered Habitats)
by Precious McKenzie (Author)
24 pages

Booktalk: Learn about glaciers and how can we protect this endangered habitat.

Snippet: Glaciologists identified several types of glaciers. The two main types are continental and valley glaciers.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

This week’s STEM Friday Round-up is hosted by Simply Science.

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Nonfiction Monday on January 30, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on January 30, 2012

is at Capstone Connect.

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

Trains Go
by Steve Light (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: A fun board book with 8 noisy trains!

Snippet: The big steam train goes, CHUGGA chugga chugga CHUGGA chugga chugga CHOO CHOOOOOOO!
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Chapter Book of the Day

Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow
by Nathan Bransford (Author)
288 pages

Booktalk: Jacob Wonderbar is used to detentions, but when a spaceship crashes near his house, he finds himself in a whole new level of trouble. After swapping a corn dog for the ship, he and his two best friends, Sarah Daisy and Dexter, take off on a madcap adventure…

Snippet: Suddenly the street lit up and there was a flash in the forest, almost like an explosion without sound. A green laser shot up into the sky and then disappeared just as quickly. A moment later there was a faint whirring sound and a hiss. Then the street was silent again.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/2uu3TvAi1Kc]

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STEM Friday on January 20, 2012

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on January 20, 2012

is at Simply Science.

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Literary Links

Book Bloggers Convention officially comes under the BEA Umbrella (event now *before* BEA, not *after*)

Barnes & Noble Stores Will Not Stock Books Published By Amazon via @GalleyCat
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

Prairie Storms
by Darcy Pattison (Author) and Kathleen Rietz (Illustrator)

Booktalk: See a year on the prairie. (Did you know that ground hogs live on the prairie, too? Tomorrow is their big day!)

Snippet:
The hibernating groundhog stirs,
awakes. It unplugs the door to its den
and peers out. Soft billows of fog blot
out the sun.

BONUS! See the video and download the ground hog coloring page

[youtube=http://youtu.be/uaUirE0ed6Y]

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Chapter Book of the Day

Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie
by Bill Doyle (Author) and Scott Altman (Illustrator)
112 pages

Booktalk: After Keats and Henry lose their bikes, they need money—fast. So the help-wanted ad at the supermarket seems ideal for them. All they have to do is weed Hallway House’s garden, find some lightbulbs in the attic, sweep the garage . . . and battle a shark-headed zombie. That last job is a joke…isn’t it?

Snippet: “Shark-headed zombie?” Henry said.

“Extra wand?” said Keats.

Henry laughed, and then Keats did, too.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/puyjtioBItI]

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5 MORE Great Books About Valentines

Big Heart!: A Valentine’s Day Tale
by Joan Holub (Author) and Will Terry (Illustrator)
The ant class makes a big Valentine. Who is it for? Pre-Level 1 easy reader

Melvin’s Valentine
by Jon Scieszka (Author), David Shannon (Illustrator), Loren Long (Illustrator) and David Gordon (Illustrator)
Who gave Melvin a Valentine? Level 1 easy reader

No Valentines for Katie
by Fran Manushkin (Author) and Tammie Lyon (Illustrator)
Uh-oh! No one gave Katie Woo a Valentine. Easy reader with chapters

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (Author) and Marc Simont (Illustrator)
Who gave Sludge the dog a Valentine? Easy reader.

Valentine’s Day in Vicarstown
by Rev. W. Awdry (Author)
What will Thomas do about Valentine’s Day when the blizzard comes? Easy reader
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Literary Links

New Stats: Kids Find E-Books ‘Fun And Cool,’ But Teens Are Still Reluctant

Pinterest Tips for Writers (via @GalleyCat)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)